April 29, 2009 - Today In History

Today is Wednesday, April 29, the 119th day of 2009. There are 246 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On April 29, 1945, during World War II, American soldiers liberated the Dachau concentration camp;
the same day, Adolf Hitler married Eva Braun and designated Adm. Karl Doenitz president.

On this date:

In 1429, Joan of Arc entered the besieged city of Orleans to lead a French victory over the English.

In 1798, Joseph Haydn's oratorio "The Creation" was rehearsed in Vienna, Austria, before an invited audience.

In 1861, Maryland's House of Delegates voted against seceding from the Union.

In 1901, Japanese Emperor Hirohito was born in Tokyo.

In 1916, the Easter Rising in Dublin collapsed as Irish nationalists surrendered to British authorities.

In 1946, 28 former Japanese officials went on trial in Tokyo as war criminals; seven ended up being
sentenced to death.

In 1968, the counterculture musical "Hair" opened on Broadway following limited engagements
off-Broadway.

In 1974, President Richard M. Nixon announced he was releasing edited transcripts of some secretly
made White House tape recordings related to Watergate.

In 1983, Harold Washington was sworn in as the first black mayor of Chicago.

In 1992, deadly rioting erupted in Los Angeles after a jury in Simi Valley, Calif., acquitted four Los Angeles
police officers of almost all state charges in the videotaped beating of Rodney King.

Ten years ago:

Yugoslavia filed World Court cases against 10 alliance members, including the United States,
claiming their bombing campaign breached international law. (The World Court ended up rejecting
Yugoslavia's request for an immediate cease-fire.)

The Rev. Jesse Jackson arrived in Belgrade on a mission to win freedom for three American POWs
held by Yugoslavia.

Five years ago:

President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney met behind closed doors with the
Sept. 11th commission.

A national monument to the 16 million U.S. men and women who'd served during World War II
opened to the public in Washington, D.C.

Internet search engine leader Google Inc. filed its long-awaited IPO plans.

One year ago:

Democrat Barack Obama angrily denounced his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, for what
he termed "divisive and destructive" remarks on race.

Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann, the discoverer of LSD, died in Burg im Leimental, Switzerland, at 102.

Today's Birthdays:

Actress Celeste Holm is 92.

R&B singer Carl Gardner (The Coasters) is 81.

Poet Rod McKuen is 76.

Actor Keith Baxter is 76.

Bluesman Otis Rush is 75.

Conductor Zubin Mehta is 73.

Pop singer Bob Miranda (The Happenings) is 67.

Country singer Duane Allen (The Oak Ridge Boys) is 66.

Singer Tommy James is 62.

Movie director Phillip Noyce is 59.

Country musician Wayne Secrest (Confederate Railroad) is 59.

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld is 55.

Actor Leslie Jordan is 54.

Actress Kate Mulgrew is 54.

Actor Daniel Day-Lewis is 52.

Actress Michelle Pfeiffer is 51.

Actress Eve Plumb is 51.

Rock musician Phil King is 49.

Country singer Stephanie Bentley is 46.

Singer Carnie Wilson (Wilson Phillips) is 41.

Actress Uma Thurman is 39.

Tennis player Andre Agassi is 39.

Rapper Master P is 39.

Country singer James Bonamy is 37.

Gospel/R&B singer Erica Campbell (Mary Mary) is 37.

Rock musician Mike Hogan (The Cranberries) is 36.

Actor Tyler Labine is 31.

Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris is 26.

Actor Zane Carney is 24.

Thought for Today:

"Human beings are perhaps never more frightening than
when they are convinced beyond doubt that they are right."

— Sir Laurens van der Post,
South African author
(1906-1996).